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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. land — to come down
  4. march — the month
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. land — ground
  9. march — the month
  10. row — to paddle
  11. field — farmland
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. chip — for betting
  14. field — a subject
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. field — for sport
  17. land — a country
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. march — music
  24. row — a line

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com